Barkeep Confessional: Aaron Cronig of TRISM

artenders come in all shapes and sizes, and from all walks of life. Who’s to say who is best equipped to give you what you need when you sit down across the bar? Bartenders. Professional babysitters, part-time psychologists, and a drunk’s best friend in the moment. When you need to know the best spots to get your drink on around campus and who to chat up when you’re there, we’ve got you.

How many years have you been bartending?

About three years.

Did you work anywhere before Trism?

I was at Midway for about two and a half years and then when Trism opened, they moved me over here.

How’d you get into the job?

I started working security because I needed to earn some money to be able to go out and drink.

That’s the whole reason?

Yeah pretty much.

What’s your favorite drink to make?

Photo by Collins Laatsch.

Jamo and Coke. Because I love Jameson.

What’s your favorite drink to drink?

Jameson and Coke but I’ve also more recently started liking Scotch neat.

What’s a drink you hate to make?

It’s called a Dirty Shirley.It’s an annoying drink to make, plus nobody knows how to pronounce it. We get a lot of people calling it a “Dirly Shirley” for some reason.

What’s your favorite drinking holiday where you get to drink?

Probably my birthday. Because I don’t have to take care of myself.

What do patrons do that you find annoying as a bartender?

We get up to them to take their order and they will either turn around or be on the phone through the whole process of us trying to get their order and make the full transaction. It’s frustrating and just slows us down a lot.

What is your favorite holiday while working at the bar?

Probably New Year’s because everyone is out to get drunk, so people are tipping a lot better and enjoying their night more.

Do you ever find yourself in situations where you have to play shrink?

No, not really. We have a lot of regulars that come in and talk to us about stuff that’s going on in their lives, but that’s not really playing shrink. It’s more like friendly conversation.

What in your opinion would make for the perfect bar?

Awesome bartenders, no drama.

What’s the grossest shit you’ve encountered while working at the bar?

I was working at Midway during a football game on a not-so-busy day, and there was some girl getting finger blasted by a guy at the bar in broad daylight. That was the grossest thing I’ve ever seen.

Do you have any pro-tips / do’s and don’ts for patron?

Don’t be a dick, take care of your bartenders, and ya know, we’re not asking you to tip us $100 but if you take care of us then we’ll actively look for you while we’re making drinks and take care of you sooner.

Trism and Midway are very different from each other so what are your favorite aspects of each?

Midway is more speed bartending, so you’re constantly moving, and I love that because I hate downtime. Trism is a little more laid back. There’s a lot more time to interact with customers, but you still get that constant work where you’re always busy when the bar is busy. •

1870 Staff

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